How To Create A Tagline That Rocks!

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How To Create A Tagline For Your Blog or Business

In October, I wrote “3 Steps To Come Up With The Perfect Name” for your blog and/or business. If the name you’ve chosen doesn’t provide a picture of what you do, make sure that your tagline does!

A tagline is a catchphrase or small group of words that are combined in a special way to identify a product, blog or company. It’s the phrase that identifies and combines 3 elements; your blog/business, your promise, your brand – and it needs to capture your reader’s eye at a glance.

Coming up with a great tagline is a struggle for most people. And it seems that most get it wrong by focusing on what their product or service is and neglecting what it offers.

Today, we’re going to look at how to create a tagline for your blog or business.

Side note: A lot of you don’t know this, but I once developed a line of laptop computer bags for fashion conscious women called Gudi Bags. Pronounced [goo d-ee], same as the word goodie!

Short back story: At the time I created the line of laptop bags my last name was Gudbranson, but friends called me Gudi – hence Gudi Bags. I also appeared on the CNBC nationally syndicated tv show ‘The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch’ for my bags.  Below was the website and an old magazine ad.

How To Create A Tagline Gudi Bags ExampleIn learning how to create a tagline for your blog or business, we’re going to look at EXACTLY how I developed the tagline for my Gudi Bags business, and then you’ll be able to do the same process to develop your own tagline. It’s the same process, I go through to come up with the perfect name…

Step 1: I start LISTING WORDS. I look at my ideal client and visualize the traits and thoughts that come to mind. I think of the results of the service (or in this case, I thought about what the product does/offers) and I also think about how it’s different.

Tip: Don’t over analyze or edit your word list, just let it flow. It’s for your eyes only.

Step 2: When I can’t think of any more words, I take a few of the stronger/key words and look up synonyms for those words in a thesaurus and add the ones that I like to the list.

Step 3: Once I’ve completed my list, I choose the words that resonate best with my ideal target customer and start STRINGING THE WORDS TOGETHER.

Tip: Remember to keep it short!

A real life tagline example – Gudi Bags!

Ideal client: ME (I truly designed the Bags with myself in mind – I am the ideal client for this product) and other fashion conscious business women who carry a laptop computer.

Word List: (My original list was MUCH longer, but I just want to give you the gist)
Confident
Classy
Chic
Sassy
Powerful
Strong
Independent
Self-assured
Bold
Bold statement
Make a statement
Leave an impact
Successful
Accomplished
Style
Love of fashion
Designer
Dual role – handbag plus laptop bag in one
Ease
Beauty and functional
Handles lots of ‘stuff’
Handle
Handle it
Many roles: mom, wife, professional, woman, etc.
Multitasker
Multiple personalities
Take charge
Has control
Protection
Like nothing else
Different
Many roles
Fashion oriented women
Elegant
Reflection of you
Extension of self
Accessory

Stringing words together: (potential taglines)

Gudi Bags – reflect you and the woman that you are.
Gudi Bags – Fashion. Function. Fabulous.
Gudi Bags – handle it with style.
Gudi Bags – we bag to be different.

The chosen tagline:

Gudi Bags – handle it with style.
No matter what this woman is doing, no matter what role or where she is, with a Gudi Bag on her shoulder she can Handle It With STYLE.

Here’s the thinking/breakdown:

Handle. This word came from the bag having a shoulder strap/handle. It also came from a woman being able to handle/take care of many things (multi-task, many roles, lots of stuff, etc).

It. This means she can handle whatever ‘IT’ is and I mean ANYTHING that comes her way.

With Style. Everything she does has an air of class, sophistication and style. Plus it plays on the fact of her being a fashion-conscious person who cares about her appearance and buys designer accessories.

Take another look at the STEPS I went through to develop the Gudi Bag tagline. Do you CLEARLY SEE how it all came together?

Here’s a few other tagline examples out in the marketplace – just to get you thinking:

GE – we bring good things to life
Ford – built for the road ahead
Altoids – curiously strong mints
Cingular – raising the bar
Maybelline – maybe she’s born with it. Maybe it’s Maybelline.
Kotex – Kotex fits. Period.
The Root Salon – the root – a source for beauty
Blo – a lot of hot hair
NextAesthetics – everyone will notice – but no one will know

I think this needs repeating… Keep your business name and taglines as short and simple as possible! Note: short and simple is a lot EASIER TO REPEAT and REMEMBER!

Ideally, you want your business name and/or tagline to be MEMORABLE and SPEAK DIRECTLY to your ideal client so much so that they say, “Wow. That’s EXACTLY what I need!” or “This is EXACTLY what I’m looking for!”

Now that you know how to create a tagline for your blog or business, I can’t wait to see and hear what you come up with! Cheers.

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6 Comments

    1. Thanks for the kind words Kel. So funny how technology changes… The website was a ‘flash’ website, which only big brands could afford. And I wouldn’t do that today because it has zero SEO benefits! But it is fun to see that my design aesthetic is still the same today, just a little fresher. Have a great day!

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